ARACHNOPHOBIA FOR SOME – HOWEVER SPIDERS ARE WONDERFUL TEACHERS
I prepared this about 20 years ago, so when I use “today”, well - it was back then. Here we make applications to Christian living derived from the habits of spiders.
This is an address rather than a sermon and prepared for smaller groups but it can be used as a sermon. It is something I’d love to do with a data projector (we don’t have one). I have shared this message it a few times in different places.
ARACHNOPHOBIA! It puts fear into some people. Spiders cause all sorts of reactions – screams, shaking, running away, hysteria, fright, jumping on chairs, panic and anxiety, sweating, rapid heart beat, and even nausea in some people. Some may think me strange but I like spiders. That might be because I am a photographer and really appreciate the excellent photos you can get when shooting these furry creatures in macro mode.
I love nature and study it and photograph it, be it birds, insects, spiders, crustaceans, flowers, creeping things, and especially rainforest fungi. The Lord gives me thoughts on various subjects and sometimes I write them down. This is about spiders – they are great teachers.
Today (a few years have passed since then) I did some cleaning up in the lounge room where I have too much stuff – computer gear, files, papers, books, camera items, etc. Then I vacuumed the floor and noticed spider webs around the ceiling and the curtains, and vacuumed the spiders that were there – rather smallish ones. In Australia they are called “daddy longlegs” spiders (Pholcus phalangioides). While I was sucking them in, I was struck with the thought of their persistence. There is one thing certain – they will be back! Some thoughts regarding spiders, I felt compelled at the time, to put together:
*** 1. THEY CHOOSE THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS POSITIONS. Most of these I came upon today, are found up where the ceiling and walls meet, and the best place was in the four top corners of the room. There they get traffic from all positions and take advantage of the corners. They sit there silently and wait, exhibiting great patience. They have extremely good eyes, often multiple eyes, usually eight, and can see what is around, all around. God made them that way, so in the room corners they wait and watch.
As Christians, we should always be on the look out for the most advantageous positions for the work to be done – the gospel outreach and other ministry. We need the most strategic resources for fellow Christians in need. We must be diligent with eyes open, seeing what is around us. I suppose this is a bit like being out on the highways and byways. There is probably too much expended effort in Christian work, and money wasted which is poor stewardship, when we ought to be aiming at the best advantage with the limited resources. To take advantage of the times and resources we need people the Lord has qualified, not ones who think they know best.
*** 2. THEY CLAIM THE MOST STRATEGIC PLACES. Have you noticed how fond spiders are of lights, and window areas where insects and bugs are attracted by internal lights? Have you noticed how some have taken the best possible positions in tree boughs and between trees, constructing large web areas in the flight paths of insects? One family of spiders fascinates me, and that is the jumping spiders. They are small with perfectly rounded multi-lens eyes but they know which bush or plant or leaf will give the best results. They wait there and when a tiny insect comes, not even tiny in some cases, they will jump on the victim. They have quite a toxic poison and saw a jumping spider totally paralyse a Ulysses butterfly probably 40 or 50 times its size
With our Christian resources, we must make the best strategic use of those resources as possible. Meaningful, purposeful. We must spread the net wide between the trees. The parable of the wedding feast infers that they must almost be compelled in. That is determination. We must go to the “lights” of this world to catch the lost souls. Jesus did. He associated with the publicans, prostitutes, the needy, and he met people “on their own turf”, I think the expression is. He did not hesitate to speak in synagogues, from boats, on hillsides, outside a tomb, on a well, and at feasts. Some Christians have laid strategic claim to the Internet in these days with great success. Of course, so has the enemy.
*** 3. THEY WORK ENTHUSIASTICALLY. Have you ever watched spiders make webs? They know the task in hand and work with purposeful enthusiasm until the web has been completed. Up, down, back, forth, in, out. What I like about it is the logical approach they have, not disorganised or higgledy-piggledy. No complaining, just dedicated commitment to the task they have.
”Faint not”. We have that in the word of God (KJV) – {{2Corinthians 4:16 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”}} The reality is that it is so easy for us to be distracted by trials and personal matters, that we faint along the way, and the task is unfinished. Spiders don’t start the web and then stop in defeatism. It is not webs we make, but the web to the spider is its whole existence. Our whole existence should be to do the will of the Father in heaven, but we lose sight of that goal too often. Yes, there is a lesson here. The spider is so goal-focused. What about us? How do we rate? Ever heard the term “Fair-weather Christians?”
*** 4. THEY KNOW WHAT PERSEVERANCE IS. Have you ever noticed a spider build a great web in the early evening and gather it up again next morning with nothing caught, and rebuild it later that day, OR some build in the morning for the day? I have. They might do that day after day in the face of danger, storm, wind, and without result, with nothing ensnared. The spider is a wonderful example of endurance. Laziness is not known among spiders.
How much perseverance do we show when we do not get results? I am reminded of the statement about putting the hand to the plough and not turning back. I think there is some sort of flea protection for dogs in Australia with the motto, “keeps on keeping on”. It is that endurance in the face of danger, storm, wind, that makes one a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Especially when there is no tangible result for much expended effort. Remember Noah? 120 years, and not one convert, but did he show faithfulness? Yes, he did every year, year in and year out. I don’t speak this out of achievement – only because I know failure. What a commendation it will be to hear, “Well done, you good and FAITHFUL servant.” In these closing days of the Church age, there is increasing trouble, and trouble brings discouragement, but God speaks to us –
Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (KJV) James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (NASB)
*** 5. PATIENCE IS A DISTINCTIVE QUALITY. A spider might sit in the centre of its web hour after hour and looks like it’s dead. Patiently it just sits and waits. All through the night it will do that. You might think it is asleep but just tap the web gently and see the immediate response. Perseverance (patience) is commendable. Patience and perseverance may seem the same but they are not. Perseverance is bearing up in difficulties, while patience is keeping to the task, showing persistence.
Patience is a virtue required of Christians. How little we show sometimes when we allow the matters of daily living to get on top of us, or we struggle with victory through tough circumstances. We are currently in the dark night of Christian history with the dawn somewhere ahead. The dawn for us will break with the wonderful Rapture of the saints. Until that time we must wait with patience, and run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus all the time. {{Romans 5:3-5 “Not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, Rom 5:4 and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope, Rom 5:5 and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (NASB)}}
*** 6. SPIDERS ARE NOT WASTERS. When prey is caught it is not discarded, but eaten if the spider is hungry. If there is ample food then the victim is wound up in silk and stored. One big yellow–golden banded spider has been doing this around my back patio light. It is an orb-weaver, but the biggest orb-weaver I have is the Golden Orb spider (Nephila pilipes) that can have an 8 inch leg span. That is the female; the males are very, very tiny. (We have lots of spiders here in the tropics).
Christians are to use resources wisely. Yes, we can look back sometimes and see the wasted years, and the failures, and the questioning episodes we have been through. Remember the commendation for the wise ant in Proverbs that gathers its food. Proverbs 6 v 8 “Prepares her food in summer and gathers her provision in the harvest.” We are stewards of all that God has given us – finance, time, folk in our Christian meetings, etc. Let us honour God as faithful, good stewards of all we have. Let us not waste our time and resources on worthless endeavours and too much self-indulgence.
*** 7. SPIDERS CAN BE USEFUL BUT CAN CAUSE GREAT HARM. All arachnids do a wonderful job of insect and vermin control, but they can leave an unsightly mess around, and get into areas where they are not wanted. We have a redback spider in Australia (Latrodectus Hasselti) that can get into cupboards and dark places, but its bite can hospitalise people. It has featured in one of the top rating country songs of the past called “Redback on the Toilet Seat” by Slim Dusty. Yes that does happen! North America has its tarantulas. Australia has trap door and funnel web spiders, all dangerous and can be deadly.
Christians can do the cause of Christ great good, but likewise they can do great harm. What is the perception of us? This is one point we should always be aware of. May the name of Christ never be slandered because of us. Another point is this – there is in Australia a large but harmless spider called a huntsman spider, wrongly named by many here, a tarantula, even though no tarantula spiders are in Australia. We may at times be wrongly judged as a tarantula where this verse applies, {{1Peter 3 v 16 “and keep a good conscience so that in thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ, may be put to shame.”}} May we never be biting spiders in God’s fellowship to cause pain to fellow Christians and cause harm. Watch behaviour, tongues and actions. Harm not the cause of Christ!
*** 8. SPIDERS USE A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES. Some build webs, some physically hunt, some hang from threads and wave around, some make holes in the ground, some lurk in the night, some hunt by day, some “fish”, some practise net-casting, some spit, some spring/jump on their prey, some hide inside flowers. One amazing spider Australia has is called “the tent spider”. There might be dozens of them and they all build together in this great conglomerate of webs that can occupy an area of up to 15 square yards.
Christians should be showing flexibility in ways things are done; in how outreach is conducted, etc. Of course, we are not talking of compromise here, or rushing off to adopt some new trend. Sometimes Christians are afraid to venture out of their very small comfort zone. How many ways of outreach can you list? Do you think some Christians are lazy and can’t be bothered to exert much effort in the things of the Lord?
*** 9. SPIDERS SHOW DISCERNMENT. I have actually tried to fool a spider which is sitting and waiting in the middle of its web, by tapping part of its web or dropping a small leaf onto the web. The spider was not fooled. It sat there because it did not get the correct vibrations. When an insect landed, off it raced and grabbed it with not the slightest hesitation.
All too often we get fooled by “taps and leaves”. True discernment is a valued quality in the lives of Christians. How often some of us lack it. More than ever we need discernment in this current deluded world, and delusion is increasing alarmingly. We need it more and more. True wisdom is a desired quality that many Christians lack because I know I do often. We might blunder into something, or digress on the wrong track, or get caught out. We get fooled by the tapping of the world or by the leaf that falls on us. Be wise like serpents and harmless as doves.
*** 10. ENTICED AND DEVOURED! In some species, the female is larger than the male. The male is enticed by the female for mating which the male seems happy to do, but immediately upon completion, the female kills the male and often eats it. He has been enticed to his doom. In the golden-orb spider I mentioned in Point 6 above, the female can be over 100 times the size of the male; I have seen accounts where it says up to 300 times. There are many of these tiny reddish things running on the web of the female wishing to mate with her, but destruction awaits them.
There are two applications here. Firstly, how many Christians have been enticed by sin or by some alluring prospect - not that mating is sin - only to find they have been overcome by it to their downfall. I am reminder here by David and Demas and Judah and Samson and Achan and Gehazi and Ananias and Sapphira. The sad life of Samson is well known. Secondly you would expect the two spiders to work together for a common purpose, but one proves untrustworthy and devours the other one. Are Christians any different? {{Galatians 5 v 15–16 “but if you bite and devour one another take care lest you do not be consumed by one another, but I say, walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”}}
Spiders indeed can teach us. In fact many things in Nature have lessons for us. When Solomon said in Proverbs 6:6, “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways and be wise,” he was making an application from nature which God would encourage us all to do. Spend some time yourselves studying some feature in nature and see what applications you can make from it. It can be a very worthwhile exercise. “Go to the ant”.
JUST FOR YOU
Someone may be reading this and has never taken the step of giving your life to the Lord Jesus. God loves all sinners and Jesus died for sinners so that you may live forever in God’s presence. Please do not delay taking Jesus as your own personal Saviour. Repent of your sins and ask Jesus into your life and He will be with you forever. You will then know peace, joy and hope and what the true meaning of life is.
Maybe there is a Christian reading this and you have been careless about your Christian life and your witness. Are you as enthusiastic for the Lord as the spider is about living? Maybe you have drifted into a lazy and worldly life. The Lord is coming soon and do you want to be found wanting. You need to repent and return to the Lord and serve Him fully while He still gives you that opportunity.
I hope this was instructive.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
